Farewell to an Old Friend

This week has been a very emotional week.  We said good-bye to a dear friend, our 2004 Subaru Impreza.  I honestly thought we would keep this car forever.  It had become a trusted member of the family. We had the Subaru, "Subie" as we lovingly named it, for over 11 years.  It was the first car our oldest son drove when he got his license in Virginia.  We had decided it would become the "kid" car, seeing each one of our four kiddos through their early driving years.  Our youngest  graduated high school in June, and will be going off to college next month,  and it really made no sense to keep four cars around as my husband and I become empty-nesters.

From Fence Board to Jewelry Organizer

I've taken a break from creating from pallets because I stumbled upon a stack of great salvaged fence boards at our local lumber yard.  I love these because they are a bit wider than a board from a recycled pallet.  Don't get me wrong, I still love working with pallets, but I thought a shift from my usual source of recycled lumber may be fun.

A Day at the DMV ~ You Never Know Who You Will Meet

I Love the DMV

It seems that with modern technology and all it can do for us, we have been able to move on from the regular mundane tasks that we used to consider a way of life.  One of those tasks for me was the annual trip to the DMV.  But now, with online registration and electronic submittal of smog certifications, there really isn't a need to actually go stand in line any longer...or so I thought.  Yesterday, I spent four hours either standing in line or sitting on the sidewalk saving my place beside someone who is probably the most interesting person I've ever come in contact with.  She definitely ranks in my top five.

This post isn't really about the DMV or why I had to take half my day to go there, nor is it about the person I met and her reason for being there.  We both had out of the ordinary situations; I realize now how lucky I am to have had a reason to be there. This post is a reminder that we never know what, or who, may be put in our paths. We can only be so lucky that it may be someone or something that speaks to us on a level we never knew was there.

Today's Tuesday Treasury List ~ Every Day is Earth Day!

Tuesday Treasuries are back! I though this collection of Etsy creations by some wonderful artists and craftspeople  would be perfect for today!

Every Day is Earth Day!

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  Mother Earth - Go Green - Earth Day, Every Day
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  Earth Day: Be The Change Unisex Necklace Pure Silver Copper Mixed Meta...
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
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  Earth Day Sale Reusable Paper Towel Roll Set of 12 Earth Friendly
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
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A New Jewelry Organizer ~ Yes, Pallets Again!

Oh boy, I discovered another use for recycled pallets!  I love creating works of art that can be useful and, in turn, allow other items' beauty to be displayed.  I don't have as much jewelry as most gals, I have a specific allergy to precious metals.  My husband would love to buy me more jewels, but he just can't because the good stuff turns me green ~ poor guy.

Today's Tuesday Treasury List ~ Blues and Grays

Here's today's Tuesday Treasury List. I am constantly amazed at the talent found on Etsy. I love being a part of such an exciting community.

'Jewelry - Blues and Grays' by hartleyrowe

I'm working on a custom order for a customer who requested two jewelry organizers in blue and gray. I love the combination myself, so I thought I would look for some great pieces of jewelry on Etsy in the same color scheme.

Tuesday's Treasury List ~ Why I Chose Penguins!

Here's another one of Hartley Rowe's Tuesday Treasury Lists from some really great Etsy Shops...Enjoy!

'Penguins and Antarctica' by hartleyrowe

This week at work in our school library, we're reading books about and doing research on Antarctica and its animals. I thought I would look and see what I could find in some great Etsy Shops.

Happy New Year!

My current read....Happy New Year to Me!

It's been quite some  time since my last post.  As the year came to a close, my list of to-do's multiplied exponentially!  My life was like a roller coaster out of control and it affected every second of my waking hours.  My husband and kiddos can attest to that and to the fact that my busyness affected every second of their waking hours too.  Of course, all the items on that to-do list were not all self imposed, but they made it to the list nonetheless.

Tuesday's Treasury List ~ Kitchen Tables

This week's Tuesday Treasury List is all about kitchen tables ~ the most important piece of furniture in a home.
     

'Kitchen Tables' by hartleyrowe

My kitchen table is my favorite piece in our house. Ever since our children were small, we've always shared our evening meal together around this table. I found some great tables here on Etsy, hopefully they will become someone's favorite piece.

Bunk Bed Ladder Turned Outdoor Planter

 

One of the greatest things about having adult children is that they tend to use your garage as a storage facility.  Well, my husband wouldn't consider that one of the greatest things, he loves his children dearly but grimaces every time they move out of an apartment or dorm room.  He knows our garage will be filled again with extra bed frames, tables and boxes of unknown goodies.  I, on the other hand, welcome all the new (or should I say old and second hand) treasures.  Now, just to be fair, I always ask the kiddos if I can saw, sand or rip apart their belongings before I start my transformations.  They usually say yes, after all their father and I purchased most of what returns to the garage.  So, when I asked my almost college grad daughter if I could have the ladder to her former loft bed, after looking at me like I was crazy, she said yes!

Tuesday's Treasury ~ Cast Iron Love!

I love shopping all the wonderful shops on Etsy. I love this time of year and all the memories of traditions and family gatherings it brings back. Many of those memories involve cast iron accessories in some shape or form. I hope you like browsing these great Etsy shops....

'Cast Iron Love' by hartleyrowe

I love cast iron and all the memories it evokes.

Just a Spoonful of Black Paint Makes the Bar Stool Stand Out....

I've had the tune to  "Just A Spoonful of Sugar Makes the Medicine Go Down" in my head for a couple of days.  Now it's even affecting the titles of my DIY projects and blog posts!  However, it does help to introduce the fact that just a tiny bit of paint can transform almost anything, especially bar stools.

Tuesday's Treasury Is Back!

This week's Etsy Treasury List is a collection of movie quotes printed on book or dictionary pages. I love this type of art and thought I would put together a collection from some great Etsy artisans. Enjoy!

'Quotes on Pages' by hartleyrowe

I love the craze of printing famous quotes, and other forms of art and media, on old book and dictionary pages. Here are a few quotes from movies that fellow Etsy artists have transferred to pages.

Odds and Ends = Sean's New Shaving Stand

My son recently invested a small fortune in a handmade shaving brush and razor.  He was explaining that he needed a stand for the brush so it would dry properly.  He's been leaning the brush against a tub of shaving soap.  I looked up some images on Google of handmade shaving stands and found some that looked handmade, but were over $100 and most certainly not handmade.  So....we put our thinking caps on and came up with a design using odds and ends from my workshop.  This is what we got!

Great Weather + Pallets = Lots of Fun!

A new tray to help me transport my current reading
selection and cup of tea out to the garden.

I was finally able to get back to my workshop this weekend that's in the garage.  The weather here has been unbearably hot the past few weeks and it's kept me from doing any major woodworking in the garage. It's like a furnace in there when the temperature rises.  Thank goodness it doesn't happen too often here in San Diego.

DIY Pallet Bulletin Board

As you know, I'm always trying to make something new out of pallets.  Here is one of my latest creations using pallet boards and salvaged wood.  I love combining different types of wood, sanding each board, and then seeing what new life they take on.  I made two bulletin boards and have listed this one in my Etsy shop. You can see that listing here.  I'm keeping the other one for myself and will use it to display Christmas cards we receive.

Yesterday's Tuesday Treasury List ~ I Dream of Pallets!

I got so excited putting this Etsy Treasury List together that I forgot to post it to my blog yesterday. So here it is, a bit late!

'I Dream of Pallets' by hartleyrowe

My Beautiful City

I love San Diego. Some days I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming when I'm
walking downtown.  I thought I would share some pictures I took one afternoon when my daughter and I took a few minutes to walk along the harbor.

Tuesday's Treasury List ~ Amethysts

'Amethysts' by hartleyrowe

Tomorrow would have been my mother's 80th birthday. She loved amethysts. I thought I would browse Etsy for some great jewelry using amethysts. I know she would have loved all of these!